March 3
JOHN 11
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. 50 Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death.
– John 11:45-53
JOHN 11 INSECURITIES LEAD TO SCHEMES
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When insecurities set in, schemes are on their way
Envy and low self esteem lead to self-doubt and make us stray
Because of lack of love and understanding of our true image
We easily mistrust our own uniqueness and start to compare
As we liken ourselves with others, we begin to have preferences
These prejudices can lead us to plot against those who are different.
Do you wonder why these Jews were so relentless to plot and have Jesus stopped from his ministry? Verse 48 gives us an answer to this. They were so insecure about their place in society if many will believe Jesus. It would ruin their reputation and would lose the respect and honor they receive from the people before Jesus performed all these signs and began teaching with much authority and power. Their many years of education would be trashed because Jesus didn’t go through all the studies they did. They were very insecure and jealous of the following that Jesus had. The book of James 3:16 explains the offshoot of selfish ambition and jealousy. It leads to disorder and every vile practice. This is what led the Jewish leaders to plot and kill Jesus: jealousy and selfish ambition.
REFLECTION
• What could be the causes of envy, jealousy and insecurities?
